Operating railway-switches.



No. 663,595. Patented nee. "Il, |900.

A. YUUNGBLOD. OPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

(Application led Mar. 5, 1900.! (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. YouNBLoon. OPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

(pplication led Mar. 5, 1900.1 (No. Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 663,595. Patented nec. n, 1900.7

IAJ LI L L J`l A WOHNEYS No. 663,595. Patented nec. n, |900..

A. YouNGB'LooD.

OPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1900. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ESSES.' /NVENTO/- A TTOHNEYS ma Nnnms Ferias co. Primo-nwo., wAsmNumN,n, c.

is a front view thereof.

Unita Srnfrns AMOS YOUNGBLOOD, OF NORTH AUGUSTA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

`O PERATI N G RAILWAY- SWITC H EVS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,595, dated December11, 1900.

Application filed March 5, 1900. Serial No. 7,317. (N model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AMos YOUNG-BLOOD, of North Augusta, in the county ofAiken and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Operating Railway- Switches, of which thev following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of railway-switches automaticallyoperated by the railway rolling-stock, and has for its object certainimprovements in the construction of the switches and the operating meanstherefor whereby the setting of the switch is always properly insuredand the possibility of wreck on account of an open or misplaced switchis precluded.

The invention consists in certain details of construction andarrangements and combinations of the parts of the switch and theautomatic operating means therefor', which I shall hereinafter fullydescribe and claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a plan View of a portion of a railroad-track,illustratingmyinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof. Fig. 3 is asectional plan view of the devices for manually setting the switch. Fig.4 is a side View of a locomotive provided with my improved automaticswitch-operating devices. Fig. 5

Fig. 6 is a detail enlarged face view of the switch-operating devices.Fig. 7 is avertical section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 is asection taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a section of the main track,and 10n the siding, arranged for connection to the main-track rails bymeans of the pivoted switch-tongues 10b. Between the main rails arepivoted two frames 11, formed with inclined or converging sides 11a andplaced with their narrow ends abutting and pivotally connected to theopposite sides of the switch-bar 12. The sid es of these frames serve ascam or inclined surfaces which are adapted to be engaged by a part ofthe switch-throwing mechanism hereinafter described to direct a trainonto the siding or to allow it to continue upon the main track.' Theswitch-bar 12 is provided with a side extension 12, extending to amanuallyoperated switch-rod 13, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is rotatablymounted in a suitable casing 13 and has a crank 13b, adapted to enter anotch 12b in the switch-bar extension 12a when it is desired to manuallythrow the switch, and to lock the switch in either position a lock 14 isprovided in the casing and is adapted to engage either one of thenotches or keepers 12c in the said extension.

In order to insure the proper position of the switch-tongues 10b when atrain is on the siding and intends to return to the main track, theopposite end of the switch-bar 12 is formed with a shoulder or stud 12d,whereby it is adapted to be engaged and moved into proper position byone arm of a bell-crank lever 15, connected by its other arm to aforwardly spring-pressed slidable rod 15, the rear end of said Vrodbeing connected by a T-lever 15" to a link 15C, extending across to thesiding, as shown, and there connected to an operating-lever 15d, havingaroller 15e mounted on its free end. The said roller is adapted forengagement by the same. operating mechanism described below, whichengages the inclined g-uiding-frames 11. This operating mechanism isadapted to be located in the front of the locomotive Aand to be actuatedin the locomotive-cab B, and it consists of the following parts: On thefront of the locomotive A are iixedly secured spaced-aparttransversely-extending guide-rods 16, on which, by means of sleeves 17,a vertically-flanged plate 17 is iitted to travel, and held on saidplate by the flanges thereof is a slide 18, on which an arm 18 ispivoted, the lower end of said arm passing through a loop 18b on theslide and carrying at its lower bent end the switchoperating roller ordisk 19, which is adapted to ride against the inclined sides of theframes 11, as described above. Springs 19CL engage. each side of the arm18, as shown, to allow the roller t-o compensate for slight differencesin the positions of the frames with respect to the track-rails indifferent switches.

As shown particularly in Fig. 5, an arm 2O extends laterally from theplate 17 and is formed with a projection or pin 20a, fitted in therecessed shank of the rocker 21, the latter being formed with a seat 21afor an eccentric 22a on the end of a rotatable shaft 22. The

said shaft extends back into the cab B,where it is provided with apinion 22", meshing with a toothed wheel 23 on a shaft 23, which latteris operated by the hand-lever 24, arranged for engagement with thequadrant 24a.

It is evident that a movement of the lever will rotate the shaft 22 andcause the rocker 21 to move the roller 19 to the left or right to throwthe switch. The quadrant 24 is formed with three notches. When the leverengages the upper, the roller will throw the switch s0 that the enginewill take a siding to the left. When it is in the lower notch, theengine will take a siding to the right, and when it is in the middlenotch the roller will put the frames 11 directly in the middle of thetrack, thus causing the train to keep the main track and correctlyplacing any misplaced switch.

It may be desired to throw the automatic switch-operating mechanism outof operative position, and for this purpose I pivotally f mount ashifting-lever 25 above the guiderds 16, and in such lever is formed anelongated slot 25a, in which Works a stud 25h on the upper end of theslide 18. The free end of said lever is formed with a seat 25c for aneccentric 26 on a shaft 26, running back to the cab and there turned bya crank-handle 26". By thus raising and lowering the shifting lever theslide 18 may he moved vertically to raise the roller 19 above contactwith the frame 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues andtheir bar, of pivoted frames having converging sides arranged andadapted for engagement by the operating device on the rolling-stock,said frames being placed in the track with narrow ends adjacent eachother and pivotally connected to opposite sides of the switch-bar, asset forth.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues andtheir bar, of frames pivot-ally mounted in the track and having inclinedsides connected to opposite sides of the switch-bar, and a rollercarried by the rolling-stock, and adapted to ride against said inclinedsides, as set forth.

3. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch-tongues andtheir bar, of the pivoted frames formed with converging sides, extendedpractically throughout their lengths and arranged and adapted forengagement by the operating device on the rolling-stock, said framesbeing connected to said switchbar, as set forth.

4. In a railway -switch, the combination with the switch-tongues andtheir bar which latter is provided with a projection, a bellcrank leverhaving one arm disconnected from and arranged for engagement with theprojection to move the bar in one direction, and an operating-leverarranged for movement by the rolling-stock, said lever being fulcrumedat a distance from said bell-crank lever and connected therewith to movethe latter, as set forth.

5. In a railway-switch, the combination with a main track and a sidingconnected therewith by switch tongues, of a switchthrowing device in themain track arranged for engagement by the rolling-stock, a leverfulcrumed in the siding ata distance from the switch-tongnes,abell-crank lever free of positive connection with the tongues whereby itis adapted to move the tongues in but one di'- rection, and a connectionbetween said latter lever and the lever in the siding as set forth.

6. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues andtheir bar, which latter is formed with a projection near one end, of abell-crank lever having one arm arranged for engagement with theprojection to move the bar in one direction, a forwardly spring-pressedslidable rod connected to the other arm of said lever, and a leverfulcrumed in the siding and arranged for engagement by therolling-stock, said lever being connected with the rear end of-saidslidable rod, as set forth.

7. In a railway-switch-operating mechanism the combination of a carriera slide movable vertically in said carrier, an arm carried by said slideprovided at its lower end with means for operating the switch andmovable laterally at such end and devices for resisting such lateralmovement of the said arm substantially as set forth.

8. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues and theinclines arranged to move the same, of a roller adapted to ride againstsaid inclines, a support for said roller, transverse guides on whichsaid support is mounted, a rocker connected with said support to movethe same and having a seat for an eccentric, an eccentric fitted in saidseat and secured on a shaft, and means for turning said shaft as setforth.

9. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch-tongues and theinclines arranged to move the same, of a roller adapted to ride againstsaid inclines, a support for said roller movable laterally across thefront' portion of a locomotive, a rocker connected to said support tomove the same and having a seat for an eccentric, an eccentric fitted insaid seat and secured to a shaft extending rearwardly to thelocomotive-cab, and means for turning said shaft, as set forth.

10. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues and theinclines arranged to move the same, of a transverselymovable rollercarried by the rolling-stock and adapted to ride against said inclines,and

IOO

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means for holding said roller above Contact with said inclines, as setforth.

11. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues and theinclines arranged to move the same, of transverse guides on therolling-stock, a plate movable on said guides, means for moving saidplate and for holding it inv different positions, a verticallymovableslide on said plate, means for moving said slide and a roller carried bysaid slide and adapted to ride against said inclines, as set forth.

l2. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues, andthe inclines arranged to move the same, of a laterally and verticallymovable roller` arranged to ride against said inclines, means for movingsaid roller laterally and a shifting-lever for raising and lowering saidroller, as set forth.

I3. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switchtongues and theinclines arranged to move the sanne, of transverse guides on therolling-stock, a plate movable on said guides, a slide verticallymovable on said plate and carrying a roller adapted to ride against saidinclines, said slide being provided with a pin at its upper end, and avertically-movable shifting -lever having an elongated slot, in whichsaid pin is fitted as set forth.

14. In a railway-switch, the combination with the switch-tongues and theinclines arranged to move the same, of the laterallymovable rollerarranged to ride against said inclines, the slide carrying said roller,the vertically-movable shifting-lever connected with said slide to raiseand lower the sanne. said lever having a seat for an eccentric at itsfree ends, an eccentric fitted in said seat, and a shaft to which saideccentric is secured, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

AMOS YOUNGBLOOD.

Witnesses:

B. M. YoUNGBLooD, W. D. NELSON.

